Many years before I became an innkeeper I had the joy of attending an elegant wine dinner at the Blue Hill Inn in Maine. That experience is part of my journey to owning the Tidewater Inn, and we'll save that for another telling at another time.Those wonderful memories have lingered, and when I decided to host a Wine Dinner Getaway event here at the Tidewater, I knew that I would model it after that very same weekend that I had so enjoyed.
Now, the Blue Hill Inn had it's own restaurant and French trained chef. We're a bed and breakfast inn, no restaurant, no chef ... just an very enthusiastic innkeeper and home cook. So, I asked Rick Lewis, the owner of the Madison Wine Shop, Fawn Nebinger, the owner of Madison Cheese, etc., and Elizabeth Perry, of Elizabeth's Cafe at Perfect Parties, to join me, using their respective talents, to creating a memorable Wine Dinner Getaway event.
Our first Wine Dinner Getaway was on Friday, April 24, 2009. Fine wines were paired with exquisite food and served in the most elegant of settings. At the dinner Rick and his assistant, Pat Roberts, presented and poured each wine, course by course. It was as if everyone was a personal guest of the wine merchant in the dining room of a gracious home.Traditionally when we dine we first choose our food and then select the wine to complement it. A unique feature of our Wine Dinner Getaway events is that we do the opposite: First Rick selected six wines to feature: one sparkling, two whites, two reds, and one dessert wine. Each wine was then matched with a tasting course selected and prepared to highlight its qualities. I thought you might enjoy knowing the wines and the food pairings that were served, so here they are.
Hors d'Oeuvres were served with a Mont Ferrant Rose" Brut, a deep pink, sparkling wine from Spain. Monastrell skins give this wine its stunning aromas of blackberries, currants and strawberries. Sensuous delicate fruit, there is not detectable residual sugar in the long, lovely, crisp finish. I couln't wait for Christmas, many months away, to serve this wine at our open house for family and friends.
The hors d'oeuvres included Spanakopitakia (Greek Spinach Filo Triangles), Taramousalata on Belgian Endive (Greek Carp Roe, Olive Oil and Lemon Spread), and Artichoke Bottoms with Seared Sea Scallops and Hollandaise in a Kadaifi nest. This first course was served buffet style so that everyone could meet and mingle.
Our Soup course, Roast Duck and Wild Rice Soup, was served to highlight the Galiciano Godello. Godello has been known by wine insiders for years. It is native to Valdeorras, which is 100 miles inland, off the Atlantic, in a mountainous area. These stresses and harsh landscape give this grape its character. Lovely minerality, crisp and clean ... along with a long finish. Great departure from Chardonnay.
Our third course, a Lobster Salad on a bed of baby greens with Avocado, Grapefruit and Citrus Vinaigrette, was served to show the best qualities of the Cour-Cheverny. This is the "ultimate shellfish wine," according to Rick. It is made from a grape called Romorantin ... this wine has lime fruit and zingy acid. You will love this wine. Rick's promise!
The next course was Giannone Chicken Breast with pan jus, Baby French Horn Mushrooms and Wild Ramps. This course featured the 2007 Atteca Old Vines red wine. An '07 Old Vines Garnacha, it is stunning, smokey, rich and just outstanding, with blackberry notes and a persistent, lovely finish. We served this wine for our innkeeper's reception for weeks to follow and it was quite a favorite.
Between the third and fourth courses we served an intermezzo of fresh lemon sorbet to refresh the palate.
The next tasting entree of Rosemary crusted Lamb Loin with Asparagus and Merlot Sauce, featured New Zealand's Mud House Pinot Noir. New Zealand makes great Pinot Noirs ... and this is tops, according to Rick. It is well balanced with outstanding fruit and a hint of smoke.
The final wine of the evening was a 1997 Costa Diva Muscat Dessert Wine. Liquid Gold! A perfect balance of sweetness and acid, it will not leave your mouth feeling viscous. This is dessert! To feature this wonderful dessert wine we served a cheese course and a dessert course too.
The Cheeses served were: * Drunken Goat, a semi-soft cheese aged in red wine. It is Artisanaly made in Murcia, Spain. The rind is edible and has a delicious fruity flavor of the wine in which it was aged. * Manchego with Membrillo, a semi-soft cheese served with quince paste. It is exclusively made in Castille -La Mancha, Spain, with raw milk from Manchega sheep. Very pleasant and buttery flavor, slightly spicy and with a great richness of aromas. * Cabrales, a Spanish soft blue cheese made with a combination of cow, sheep and goat's milk. It is artisanally made in Asturias using raw milk. Its flavor is deep, strong and spicy, piquant with an intense acid and creamy undertone. * Brebis, Abbey de Belloc, from the French Pyrenees. This is an Ardi-Gasna (local sheep's milk cheese) which is either made or aged in the Abbey. It is dense, supple and fruity with a lightly carmelized flavor that lingers.
Our dessert was a traditional classic Spanish Flan.
Saturday morning we served a full gourmet breakfast to all before everyone departed to explore Madison and to drop in a the Madison Wine Shop and Madison Cheese, etc. to purchase wines and cheeses to take home.
We learned a few important things with this first of our wine dinner getaway events: remember to provide vegetarian alternatives, and how about something with wine at Saturday's breakfast...
All the guests asked, "When's the next Wine Dinner Getaway?"
